A Pirate's Life For Me
by Dafna
Summary: Jack/Elizabeth!! A deserted island setting and Captain Jack Sparrow, what more could you possibly ask for?


Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, I'm am only borrowing for my own amusement...  
  
Singing and dancing completely carefree with a pirate was not something that Elizabeth envisioned for herself when growing up. Maybe it was the situation they were in, or perhaps it was the rum talking to her, but the pirate didn't seem as bad as he could have been. In fact, Captain Jack Sparrow was almost fun to be around. It didn't seem possible that the respectful daughter of the Governor would be sharing company with a pirate in the first place, but there they were, singing a pirate's song and dancing around a bonfire and drinking far too much rum.  
  
All too soon, the rum they were drinking was gone, the fire had died down and the cheery singing had all but ceased. Captain Jack Sparrow had moved away from Elizabeth and the fire to sit and lean up against one of the palm trees that lined the beach. He rested his head back on the bark of his chosen tree, closed his eyes and inhaled the salty sea air surrounding him. To say the least, the Captain was relaxing despite the alcohol coursing through his veins.  
  
When Jack opened his eyes, his sight fell upon the stars, making their light known to all who want to see them. In the middle of his counting the constellations he knew, he noticed that Elizabeth wasn't too far away from where he sat. Upon further inspection of his company, Jack saw that she was shivering in the crisp night wind. It wasn't hard to figure why that was, she was wearing nothing but her undergarments. Jack sighed, and looked at the bottle of rum he held in his hand.  
  
He made up his mind and tossed the bottle her way. The bottle landed softly in the sand, Elizabeth merely looked between the bottle and the man who threw it there.  
  
"Drink that, Love. It'll warm you right up," Jack offered.  
  
Elizabeth took another glance at the bottle before making up her mind. "Thank you, but I don't want anymore." In her mind, she had already consumed too much of the drink and didn't want to have any more than absolutely necessary.  
  
Jack merely shrugged his shoulders. "Suit yourself," he stated. He removed his hat, and resumed his leaning and relaxing.  
  
Elizabeth shivered in the night air again, and gave the bottle lying in the sand next to her a long thought. The drink and its promise of warmth was very tempting. Feeling the eyes of the other, she noticed that Jack was watching her and smiling, as she struggled to make the decision. Thoroughly annoyed, she kicked the bottle away from her, and back in front of the Captain.  
  
He picked up the bottle, and dusted the sand off of the cool glass, and took another long swig. "Why don't you come over here, Love?" His immediate answer was an untrusting look from her. "I'm only offering a bit of warmth; the wind is getting cooler by the minute." His speech was slightly slurred, even in his opinion.  
  
Jack could see that his company was giving his offer a serious amount of contemplation; so, he looked at her as if to say, 'You've nothing to worry about, Love-' Odd, she could see him referring to her as *love*- 'What have you got to lose?'  
  
Elizabeth sighed, a sure sign that she had given up, and moved to where the Captain was relaxing. She leaned up against him and he laid his hand in the sand next to them.  
  
"There, that's not so bad now is it?" Jack asked as she rested her head against his shoulder.  
  
But she didn't answer his question; Elizabeth took a deep breath as she felt herself warm up against the cool night air. Jack felt himself smile as she slightly pressed herself against him, and feeling somewhat content, he took another drink of the rum, nearly emptying the bottle.  
  
There were a few long moments of silence as both of them looked out over the ocean. The gentle rolling of the waves was a welcome sound compared to the ramblings of a crazed and cursed pirate. They both breathed in the salty sea air and the sound of the waves breaking over the sand.  
  
"Do you enjoy your life as a pirate?" Elizabeth asked, breaking the silence.  
  
"Well," he started, sounding more than a little drunk. "Like in every other lifestyle, being a pirate has its moments." He paused, and thought of some of those not-so-good moments, and grimaced in the process. "Some are better than others." He added in quickly.  
  
She only scoffed at his answer. "I would hardly call murdering innocent people and sailing aimlessly around the world a lifestyle."  
  
He sobered up a bit. "And what exactly would you call it, Love?" he asked slightly affronted.  
  
Quickly thinking that it would be best for her to stay quiet, Elizabeth again didn't answer.  
  
"Things are not always as they seem," Jack continued at her silence. "Being captain of a loyal crew is not an easy accomplishment. Faring the sea in both good and ill weather takes a certain amount of skill where any less would spell the deaths of himself and his entire crew. Not to mention making sure that we don't get caught by the law," he paused. "Or other pirates. That's a lot of responsibility if you ask me."  
  
After a moment to take in everything he said, she didn't know how to respond.  
  
"Sure you don't want anymore? It's the last bit," he paused again. "Of this bottle."  
  
"No, thank you. I'm comfortable now." Elizabeth said, it was obvious by her tone of voice that she was uneasy.  
  
"Something wrong, Love?" Jack asked. Admittedly he was mildly concerned.  
  
She sighed and looked out to where the ocean met the still darkening night sky. "I would love to have the freedom that you do. To be able to just pick up from where you are and move to another place far from where you started." She gestured a bit for emphasis. "I don't blame you for running from the guards to keep your freedom."  
  
"You know, you have more freedom than you think. Just look at where you are." Jack replied, looking down at her.  
  
Elizabeth smiled and gave a short laugh. "All right let's see, I was kidnapped by pirates, scared to death during that ritual, rescued by another pirate, and yet somehow I swam to the shore of a deserted island after walking the plank. And here I am, sitting on the beach of that same deserted island, after drinking alcohol might I add, leaning up against a man I've known for maybe three days for warmth."  
  
"There, you see?" Jack chuckled slightly. She just looked at him questioningly, silently asking him to continue. "Things could easily be worse, you or I could be dead."  
  
"I suppose there is always that," she sighed.  
  
Jack smiled and laughed to himself again. She was courageous, that much was for certain. Anyone less would have cracked under such circumstances long ago. And she was making the best of a bad situation, who else would have been singing and dancing along side him on a desolate island? He smiled at the memory; the fire illuminated her newly tanned skin, her unkempt hair flowing behind her as she danced, and the drunken, yet beautiful singing of a clichéd pirate song.  
  
Elizabeth sighed in despair and readjusted her head on Jack's shoulder. "But I still have to return to the life I left behind, and marry the Commodore." Jack noticed that she had said that last bit with irritation.  
  
He took his hand out of the sand and placed it gently on her waist. "You don't seem too pleased about your future wedding. I know I love a good wedding." He raised his liquor bottle and waved it in the air for emphasis.  
  
"No, I'm dreading it, in fact," she whispered, and then she placed her arm around his chest as if to find some comfort in the Captain.  
  
"Then best not to think about it until it's upon ye," Jack whispered softly to her. He set his bottle down in the sand, and then carefully brushed a stray piece of her hair back behind her ear where it belonged.  
  
She took a good hard look at the man who was holding her. He was brusque, rude and obviously had a taste for liquor; and yet, he was brave, cunning and intelligent. if a bit odd. And his way of gesturing always seemed to make her smile even if it was inwardly. His mischievous smile could be heard a hundred yards out. Aside from being a pirate, what more could a lady ask for?  
  
His dark eyes captivated her spirit; they held such warmth that she could feel it to her very soul, and the way he was looking at her was suggestive and innocent at the same time. Elizabeth could feel the breath on her skin as he gazed at her, and she felt herself smile at him. Jack moved his hand to her neck and slowly drew himself closer, and was met with no resistance.  
  
"Jack..." she said, more than a little nervous.  
  
"Yes, Love?" he answered, his tone steady.  
  
She didn't answer him with words, instead she looked deeper into his eyes until she could see his very soul underneath. She closed her eyes and met his lips with her own. Never before that very moment had she felt the freedom she heard Jack speak so fondly of. Never before had she wanted the sense of time to stop and to enjoy the moment for as long as possible.  
  
Jack had been with a few women in the past, and been slapped by them too, but they lacked the class that Elizabeth held. Maybe it was the rum thinking for him, but being this close to her brought out new thoughts and emotions in him. When he kissed her, the bleakness of the situation they were in had all disappeared. The world could have gone to hell, and he wouldn't have cared in the slightest.  
  
Suddenly, Elizabeth pulled away; seemingly ashamed with herself. Jack was surprised by the abruptness; he was almost positive that she would have enjoyed that.  
  
"I'm sorry Mister Sparrow, I shouldn't have done that," she said, her voice shaking.  
  
"Don't be sorry until you're sure there should be a reason for it," Jack told her. "You alright, Love?" he inquired, trying not to sound too concerned.  
  
"Yes, I'm fine. I'd just like to... get some sleep before it gets too late," she replied, thoroughly embarrassed.  
  
He nodded and let her get comfortable again in his arms, he remained motionless, staring out into the sea wondering what the morrow would bring him and Elizabeth. When he looked back down at her, she was asleep or at least pretending to be. He smiled at her, thinking, 'Now I see what Will and that pansy Commodore see in her.' He rested his head back against the tree and closed his eyes, relaxing once again.  
  
***  
  
When Jack awoke the next morning, the first thing he realized was that the tree he was up against was not the best place to spend the night. He sat up and brought his hand to the back of his neck in a vain attempt to massage the stiffness out of it. That's when he noticed that he was alone. Glancing to his left, he saw no sign of Elizabeth, and to his right he saw a fire that was unlike any other. And his eyes widened in alarm. She was pouring his precious rum into the flames!  
  
"How'd I miss that?" he half-asked himself as his eyes followed the smoke skyward.  
  
He hurriedly ran to Elizabeth, questioning what her intentions were all the way there. Though she did rationally explain the reasons for such actions, he still didn't quite understand why the alcohol was needed.  
  
"Yes but, why's the rum gone?"  
  
Jack wasn't at all sure if her plan would work, that is until he saw the oncoming ship with his own eyes. Utterly surprised at the sight of white sails drawing closer to the forgotten little island, he quickly realized that his freedom was in serious trouble... again.  
  
Sure enough, as soon as he stepped foot on the ship, his hand were bound and was surrounded by guards on all sides. The Commodore was unwilling to risk his ship and crew to save Will Turner from the other band of Pirates, but Jack helped Elizabeth convince him to do so. She even went so far as to offer to take it as his wedding present to her. Determined not to show it, Captain Jack Sparrow felt crestfallen at that statement, but he pushed it to the back of his mind as quickly as he could manage.  
  
"How long were you on that wretched isle, Elizabeth?" the Commodore wanted to know.  
  
"More than a minute, less than... a week," Jack answered instead, his swagger more prominent than ever, as he was escorted from the deck. He smiled at Elizabeth when he saw the smile she gave him, and then at the Commodore for good measure. And then he almost stumbled over when the guards gave him a hard shove up to the helm.  
  
***  
  
Things were indeed going better for Captain Jack Sparrow for the first time in a long time. He was back in his rightful place on the deck of a ship, and with a loyal crew under his command. Breathing in the air that only an ocean could produce, his thoughts went back to the adventure that won him his ultimate freedom, his new ship and crew, and the friends he knew he could count on if needed.  
  
He smiled as he thought of his friends back at Port Royal; especially Elizabeth- she would remain forever in his memory, despite the short time they had to themselves.  
  
Should he return to Port Royal, there would be a bit of unfinished business that he would have to attend to. Jack smiled to the sea and continued to shout his orders to his men.  
  
After his orders were carried out, Jack retreated into his thoughts for a few moments once again, and then smirked. "And really bad eggs... Drink up me 'earties Yo Ho." 


End file.
